SA’s Young Chess Stars Return With Two New FIDE Titles

South Africas Open and Womens teams at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Back, left to right James Dinham, IM Henry Steel, Shaun Levitan, FM Banele Mhango, FM Charlton Mnyasta. Photo Credit: Chess South Africa

South Africa’s youngest-ever Open team and a three-generation Women’s squad made their mark in Samarkand.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan (05 October 2026) – South Africa’s chess future looks pretty exciting after the country returned from the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand with two new international titles.

The big individual highlights came from two Olympiad debutants, with Charlton Mnyasta earning the FIDE Master title and Sizakele Masango becoming a Woman FIDE Master.

Both players were competing at their first Olympiad, making the achievements even more special.

Mnyasta, from Elsies River in Cape Town, was the standout scorer for the South African Open team, picking up 6½ points from 10 games. His 65% score was enough to secure the FM title.

And he wasn’t the only South African making an impression against some serious opposition.

The Open team produced two 2–2 draws against Italy, seeded 26th, and Cuba, seeded 44th. Across those matches, Jan Karsten, Banele Mhango, Caleb Levitan and Mnyasta each managed wins against grandmasters.

The Open side eventually finished 82nd, while the Women’s team finished 96th in the 11-round tournament, which featured teams from around 200 countries.

The results may not have matched the teams’ starting seeds, but there was plenty to celebrate.

The five-player team had an average age of around 20, while 16-year-old IM Caleb Levitan continued his history-making journey. He became South Africa’s youngest-ever Olympiad player when he made his debut in Budapest in 2024 at just 14.

On the Women’s side, there was a lovely mix of experience and fresh talent.

WIM Anzel Laubscher competed at her eighth Olympiad, 28 years after her first appearance in 1998, while WFM Chloe Badenhorst played on top board at her third. The team was captained by GM Kenny Solomon, South Africa’s first grandmaster, who has now represented the country at 11 Olympiads.

And while Uzbekistan claimed Open gold on home soil and China won the Women’s section, South Africa left Samarkand with something of its own: two new FIDE titles and another glimpse of what the next generation could achieve.

The next Chess Olympiad takes place in Abu Dhabi in 2028.